The photo featuring the tattoos was posted publicly on Steben's Facebook. In the same picture, Steben wears a jean vest adorned with an Iron Cross, eagle-and-swastika, and an epaulet with a silver button.

The SS skull tattoo is on his right bicep:

From Scott Steben's Facebook page

If you were looking at it straight on, the skull would look something like the bottom image here:

City Pages also found pictures of Steben dressed as an SS officer with SS bolts in the background:

From Scott Steben's Facebook profile pictures

On Tuesday, the Star Tribune published a story in which Steben, a German World War II re-enactor, defended the dinner held at Gasthof's.

"By no means do we glorify the edicts of the Third Reich," he told the Star Tribune. "I understand the sensitivity of the subject matter and everything, but it did occur and it is history."

Steben also posted on his Facebook page this picture of Hitler styled like the Obama "Hope" poster:

An image from Steben's Facebook profile pictures

We reached out to Steben by phone and email to inquire about the findings and he responded with the following:

Statement CONCERNING WWII Reenactment Dinner

On behalf of everyone who participated in a World War II reenactment dinner last December, I apologize. We understand that some of the items we displayed at the dinner have made people feel uncomfortable. That was not our intent.

We are a historical reenactment and professional actor society dedicated to promoting understanding of World War II. In no way are we or any of our members affiliated with groups that promote the subjugation of anyone. All our members value education, equal rights and the complex relationship between good versus evil. These values shine through during our frequent public, Re-enactment Society-sanctioned reenactments of historic WWII battles and events and nationally released movie, Memorial Day. Sadly, these values were not captured in the photographs taken of us during the private dinner.

We are currently reviewing our practices so that in the future our members will be more mindful of the unintended effects of the materials we display.

Steben later corrected "December" to "January" -- reflecting the fact that the party was held on MLK Day -- but has yet to return our invitation to comment further.

If they had been in a dark dungeon sticking things into their anatomy the whole situation would be perfectly socially acceptable in your world! See how truly sick YOU are! It's just Diversity and Diversity is Beautiful! You can't have it both ways or can you?

@OnTheOtherHand sticking things up your butt is different from celebrating the murder of millions of people and advocating for more people to be killed... the fact that you would even compare the two tells me what kind of person you are...

Very few people have said this is illegal here in the states. A few have pointed out that it WOULD be illegal in Germany.

They absolutely have the right to do this. The restaurant absolutely has the right to host this. That's not up for debate.

But the rest of us have a right to comment, criticize, shun and shame, and certainly to refuse to take our dollars to that restaurant anymore. The right to free speech DOES NOT mean the right to not have your speech criticized.

@lawren_lawren Uhm, you can't point her to that, as there is no such thing. Here is the entire text of the first amendment to the constitution."Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Now, how courts have interpreted that is different, but the actual amendment says no such thing. This (vile, disgusting) group has every legal right to do what they did. This (stupid, ignorant) restaurant has a right to host it. That's part of America. But we do have the right to speak out against it.

@footnotegirl@lawren_lawren That is outrageous! Danielle Hansen and you are supporting an activity that you claim is supported by the first amendment of the Constitution based on the fact that free speech can't be restricted.

Any Supreme Court justice would never define this behavior as free speech. The first thing a law student learns is how the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution. You don't have the right to interpret the Constitution the way Danielle does just because you agree with interpreting how you want. The Supreme Court interprets it and defines it with exceptions and this kind of behavior has already been tested and tried as an exception.

You can't put up a hate symbol inside a public place and define that as an exercise of free speech if it's widely considered by the rest of the world as hateful. The idea that you can somehow disconnect the Supreme court with the Constitution and all the laws of our State is hyperbola.

Do not make me find her in at school and embarrass yet another racist law student!

@lawren_lawren@footnotegirl Lawren, you said she should "read the first amendment of the Constitution where is explicitly excludes antisemitic speech as free speech." I pointed out that, in fact, the first amendment states no such thing. It clearly does not state any such thing, 'explicitly' or otherwise.

How the Supreme Court would respond to this is questionable. Hate Speech laws (especially those that aren't directly related to inciting violence which this doesn't seem to have been) are still controversial. This was not the posting of nazi symbols in a purely public space. It was during a private event in a closed restaurant. They harassed servers with racist speech vis a vis breeding possibilities, but no word has come out that they said anything directly or even vaguely threatening. If the KKK can legally be allowed to march (and they are and do, especially since 1969's Supreme Court ruling in Brandenburg v. Ohio) then it is unlikely that this group could be successfully charged with anything.

Insinuating that I support these activities simply because I point out that what they did is unlikely to be illegal is just plain ridiculous. These are awful people who deserve every bit of social stigma and repercussions that they are going to get. I honestly hope that Gasthov's loses enough business to either sell out or shut down.

@lawren_lawren@footnotegirl Oh, and also, R.A.V. v. St. Paul. So the Supreme Court is pretty clear on the need for an immediate incitement to violence for something to fall outside the first amendment for being hate speech.

Which I may not like, geebus, R.A.V. v. St. Paul is horrid *shudder* but I think it's pretty clear how the Court rules on these things.

@lawren_lawren@footnotegirl Oh, also also. (so much also!) there's the very relevant NSPA vs. Village of Skokie, wherein the Supreme Court tossed the decision back to the Illinois Supreme Court, which ruled that as a symbol, the swastika was covered under free speech and not 'fighting words'.

You are going to be a very bad prosecutor if you claim to know what the Supreme Court would decide against all precedence of the Supreme Court's previous decisions.

Are you guys putting together a kill list here? I hope City Pages has good liability insurance. First Amendment has its limits, dontchaknow?

Meanwhile, in Israel this week during Purim, several high school students dressed up as KKK and lynched fellow students in blackface. Principal defended the exercise as educational "like wearing a Nazi costume." See for yourselves:

@DakotaMaverick We are just identifying the businesses and individuals who were involved with the nazi party so we know who to watch out for and what businesses to avoid--or support if the nazi regime is your thing.

Yup, I find both rather disgusting and see the parallel. I bet they believe the KKK was/is only about murdering Blacks, and have no idea how much (and sometimes much more) anti-Jewish the Klan really is. I found those picture highly offensive and the ignorant excuses just the same. I wonder what these students and school would think of our dinner party over here? We know they can't re-enact it because like Germany that bullshxt is illegal

Yup, I find both rather disgusting and see the parallel. I bet they believe the KKK was/is only about murdering Blacks, and have no idea how much (and sometimes much more) anti-Jewish the Klan really is. I found those pictures highly offensive and the ignorant excuses just the same. I wonder what these students and school would think of our dinner party over here? We know they can't re-enact it because like Germany that bullshxt is illegal.

Yup, I find both rather disgusting and see the parallel. I bet they believe the KKK was/is only about murdering Blacks, and have no idea how much (and sometimes much more) anti-Jewish the Klan really is. I found those pictures highly offensive and the ignorant excuses just the same. I wonder what these students and school would think of our dinner party over here? We know they can't re-enact it because like Germany that bullshxt is illegal.

@wildtimecharlie@ignobliss@DakotaMaverick I read what Steben wrote. That was no apology. Not even close. It was just a pack of lies and excuses. Here's an apology: "What we did was wrong. We obviously have problems and will seek counselling. We are sorry, and this will never happen again."

@ignobliss@DakotaMaverick People involved with the Gasthof event had the decency to apologize. People involved with the Purim event refused to apologize, and use Purim as an excuse to beat up Palestinians. Why do you believe ZioSupremacists are to be excused? Apparently you hate all gentiles.

@wildtimecharlie@ignobliss@DakotaMaverick Who apologized? Mario, who hasn't apologized for a single thing (quite the contrary, actually) or Steben, who claimed to not condone or endorse Nazism or the 3rd Reich in any fashion, and, in fact, has it tattooed on his body. So, are you talking about the guy who didn't apologize, or the guy who lied?

I'm not justifying anything. I just thought the parallels and irony were remarkable insofar as the school principal justified the KKK costumes on the ground that they were educational and thus akin to a Nazi costume -- her words, not mine.

It is telling that you won't accept the story as true, even with photographs and quotes from the principal. It is further telling that you played anti-semite card with such ease. That word has lost all meaning with so many people crying wolf.

Lastly, the KKK costumes are actually more disturbing given the recent news about violent behavior and outward racism to African migrants in Israel.

Or maybe acknowledging that news instead of "naming names" in the Gasthof affair makes me an anti-semite.

Is there any more information we can get about other party attendees? I am deeply concerned about nazi presence in my own backyard! I saw the Steben has since deleted his facebook, but before he had a chance i checked it out. Full of quotes from the book of Satan and photos of him in casual dress covered in nazi insignia. These do NOT seem to be re-enactment actors and to me, and hopefully all residents of northeast, this is cause for serious alarm.

@wildtimecharlie@nivem@sweetlouise731 I did not say that Karkoc attended the event, I just posed the question--you are correct in saying there is no known association (yet) between Karkoc and the Gasthof nazi christmas party.

thanks city pages for keeping up with this story and for revealing these people for who they truly are. i don't see any other local news outlet who has the info that you do on this story, so props to you. please keep us updated with any more new info on this story as it is important to know for those who live in this community.

It's the same behavior that neo far right people in Europe are doing. Labeling themselves as enactors of history. I think for this group it's more than that. It is clear that they are glorifying the Nazis. These people don't have the balls to come out at tell it like it is - they want to hide behind the smoke screen!

You cant have an "SS" tattoo and say its for "history". I can see the historical appeal of reencanting German life during the war before things went south for the Germans. But you'd think to tone down the swastikas and "SS" lightning bolts and hang up the non-offensive Iron Cross flags. Sloppy.

And I understand the large German population...my best friend is of German decent. I'm just saying the one's that are defending it are American Germans who are proud of a part of their nationalities history that their direct parentage probably had no direct involvement in there in Germany at the time. They are trying to rise up in the wrong way because their heritage has been put down for that one section of history and for good reason. But they make the mistake, the fact is that we don't blame the people today..but the men involved at the time, the actual perpetrators...but I see where that may be wrong like modern African Americans being angry with someone today about slavery. It's a tricky thing, shame and guilt. And pride. It's OK for me to have Scottish pride and it would be fine for them to have Germanic pride. But not Nazi pride...that's the difference and that's where I feel they are sorely misguided and wrong. It's hard for me to articulate but if people just thought rationally without the emotions involved....and yes it was horrible...but it's in the past...let's not relive it and keep giving it life. Don't forget it but move forward in a positive light. Outing these guys was a good thing because they are honoring a negative thing instead of something positive about their heritage. It's good to tolerate but only to a point. I know some of you may say I'm being a pc asshole...well then fuck you, I am. But I'm right if we are all going to get along...If we all want to have the respect we deserve.

This doesn't have anything to do with being German, because Germany outlawed this garbage and would be putting these fools on trial. This is about Nazism and how it was being celebrated (not re-enected) by what looks to be a neo-nazi scumbag. It's interesting how he was able to "infiltrate" or what actual sympathies the rest of the WW2 're-enacters' have for Nazism. It's ridiculous that a Polish guy or anyone would let that bullshxt happen in their establishment.

And as far as "modern African Americans" being "angry" (having issue) with slavery, why shouldn't they?

Being proud about ones German ancestry should have nothing at all to do with nazism.

I meant angry at someone today...angry at me....I had no involvement in slavery and neither did my ancestors but when the TV series Roots came out and I was living in SC ( I'm from CA) I got my ass kicked. I have and have had black friends that think it's silly to be mad at white people today. Yes they have every right to be upset about slavery. It upsets me that it was a part of this country's past but I'm also proud we abolished it. So don't try to paint me into something I'm not. I'd be honest and tell you if I was a racist or a neo sympathizer. The fact is I don't agree with them at all.

@jagkuar If you think slavery is done and over, then you don't know shit about white privilege. As in, when I get pulled over by a cop, I'm damn glad I'm white because I know they're way tougher on black and brown folk. And I know my school expects white standards. And my employer does. The idea that slavery is 'over' in the US is ludicrous.

Slavery is not over? That's just silly. 3 of my eight great great grandfathers fought in the Grand Army of the Republic, and they helped make terminate slavery over 150 years ago. Time for you to dump the hyperbole.

@jagkuar I have no idea what those people ancestry is. Im sure there are plenty of non-German re-enactors. And I know for sure there are plenty of neo-nazis other than German. When we get to WW2 in history class should everyone look over at the kid with the German name? Nazism is not EXCLUSIVE to people with German ancestry.